The 1964 United States presidential election in Wisconsin was held on November 3, 1964, as part of 1964 United States presidential election. State voters chose 12 electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
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Politics in Wisconsin since the Populist movement had been dominated by the Republican Party,[1] as the upper classes, along with the majority of workers who followed them, fled from William Jennings Bryan's agrarian and free silver sympathies.[2] Competition between the "League" under Robert M. La Follette, and the conservative "Regular" faction[3] would develop into the Wisconsin Progressive Party in the late 1930s, which was opposed to the conservative German Democrats and to the national Republican Party, and allied with Franklin D. Roosevelt at the federal level. During the two wartime elections, the formerly Democratic German counties in the east of the state – which had been powerfully opposed to the Civil War because they saw it as a "Yankee" war and opposed the military draft instituted during it[4] – viewed Communism as a much greater threat to America than Nazism and consequently opposed President Roosevelt's war effort.[5] Consequently, these historically Democratic counties became virtually the most Republican in the entire state, and became a major support base for populist conservative Senator Joe McCarthy, who became notorious for his investigations into Communists inside the American government. The state's populace's opposition to Communism and the Korean War turned Wisconsin strongly to Republican nominee Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections.
The 1958 midterm elections, however, saw a major change in Wisconsin politics, as Gaylord A. Nelson became only the state's second Democratic Governor since 1895, and the state also elected Democrats to the position of treasurer and Senator, besides that party gaining a majority in the State Assembly for only the second time since the middle 1890s. They maintained a close balance in the early 1960s, signaling the state's transition to a swing state. During the Republican primaries, Wisconsin supported favorite son John W. Byrnes but no other state joined him. Ultimate Republican nominee Barry Goldwater considered Wisconsin a useful state to combine with his Southern and Western strategy for winning the presidency and directing the GOP away from the declining Yankee Northeast.[6] The Republican would campaign in Wisconsin late in September, but met with severe hostility at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[7] Signs saying "Bring the Bomb—Back Barry" were common in Madison.
Background
editIn the 1958 election, Gaylord A. Nelson was elected as Wisconsin's second Democratic governor since 1895, and the state also elected Democrats to the position of treasurer and U.S. Senator, besides that party gaining a majority in the State Assembly for only the second time since the middle 1890s. They maintained a close balance in the early 1960s, signaling the state's transition to a swing state.[8] The Republican would campaign in Wisconsin late in September, but met with severe hostility at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[9]
Campaign
editGeorge Wallace ran in the Democratic primary, but was defeated by Governor John W. Reynolds Jr., who served as a surrogate for Johnson.[10]
Results
edit| 1964 United States presidential election in Wisconsin[11][12] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Lyndon B. Johnson (incumbent) | 1,050,424 | 62.09% | 12 | |
| Republican | Barry Goldwater | 638,495 | 37.74% | 0 | |
| Socialist Workers[a] | Clifton DeBerry | 1,692 | 0.10% | 0 | |
| Socialist Labor[b] | Eric Hass | 1,204 | 0.07% | 0 | |
| Totals | 1,691,815 | 100.00% | 12 | ||
Results by county
edit| County[11][12] | Lyndon B. Johnson Democratic |
Barry Goldwater Republican |
Clifton DeBerry Socialist Workers |
Eric Hass Socialist Labor |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 2,262 | 64.83% | 1,219 | 34.94% | 3 | 0.09% | 5 | 0.14% | 1,043 | 29.89% | 3,489 |
| Ashland | 5,383 | 70.91% | 2,198 | 28.96% | 6 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.05% | 3,185 | 41.95% | 7,591 |
| Barron | 8,332 | 59.28% | 5,701 | 40.56% | 17 | 0.12% | 6 | 0.04% | 2,631 | 18.72% | 14,056 |
| Bayfield | 3,875 | 67.08% | 1,886 | 32.65% | 14 | 0.24% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,989 | 34.43% | 5,777 |
| Brown | 30,851 | 59.26% | 21,134 | 40.59% | 61 | 0.12% | 18 | 0.03% | 9,717 | 18.67% | 52,064 |
| Buffalo | 3,663 | 63.60% | 2,091 | 36.31% | 5 | 0.09% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,572 | 27.29% | 5,759 |
| Burnett | 2,921 | 65.45% | 1,536 | 34.42% | 5 | 0.11% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,385 | 31.03% | 4,463 |
| Calumet | 5,356 | 57.75% | 3,905 | 42.11% | 10 | 0.11% | 3 | 0.03% | 1,451 | 15.64% | 9,274 |
| Chippewa | 10,911 | 63.38% | 6,277 | 36.46% | 18 | 0.10% | 8 | 0.05% | 4,634 | 26.92% | 17,214 |
| Clark | 7,781 | 61.25% | 4,897 | 38.55% | 16 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.08% | 2,884 | 22.70% | 12,704 |
| Columbia | 10,093 | 61.66% | 6,253 | 38.20% | 17 | 0.10% | 7 | 0.04% | 3,840 | 23.46% | 16,370 |
| Crawford | 3,930 | 58.98% | 2,726 | 40.91% | 4 | 0.06% | 3 | 0.05% | 1,204 | 18.07% | 6,663 |
| Dane | 68,118 | 71.38% | 27,124 | 28.42% | 83 | 0.09% | 101 | 0.11% | 40,994 | 42.96% | 95,426 |
| Dodge | 15,497 | 58.91% | 10,772 | 40.95% | 30 | 0.11% | 9 | 0.03% | 4,725 | 17.96% | 26,308 |
| Door | 4,416 | 50.68% | 4,289 | 49.22% | 8 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.01% | 127 | 1.46% | 8,714 |
| Douglas | 15,237 | 76.80% | 4,579 | 23.08% | 12 | 0.06% | 11 | 0.06% | 10,658 | 53.72% | 19,839 |
| Dunn | 6,475 | 61.91% | 3,964 | 37.90% | 14 | 0.13% | 5 | 0.05% | 2,511 | 24.01% | 10,458 |
| Eau Claire | 15,775 | 64.33% | 8,700 | 35.48% | 34 | 0.14% | 12 | 0.05% | 7,075 | 28.85% | 24,521 |
| Florence | 1,029 | 63.25% | 596 | 36.63% | 1 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.06% | 433 | 26.62% | 1,627 |
| Fond du Lac | 18,040 | 58.61% | 12,708 | 41.29% | 26 | 0.08% | 4 | 0.01% | 5,332 | 17.32% | 30,778 |
| Forest | 2,479 | 69.79% | 1,069 | 30.10% | 3 | 0.08% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,410 | 39.69% | 3,552 |
| Grant | 9,309 | 54.09% | 7,872 | 45.74% | 16 | 0.09% | 14 | 0.08% | 1,437 | 8.35% | 17,211 |
| Green | 5,548 | 50.76% | 5,364 | 49.08% | 14 | 0.13% | 3 | 0.03% | 184 | 1.68% | 10,929 |
| Green Lake | 3,893 | 50.12% | 3,871 | 49.83% | 2 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.03% | 22 | 0.29% | 7,768 |
| Iowa | 4,620 | 58.43% | 3,275 | 41.42% | 9 | 0.11% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,345 | 17.01% | 7,907 |
| Iron | 2,514 | 72.24% | 963 | 27.67% | 2 | 0.06% | 1 | 0.03% | 1,551 | 44.57% | 3,480 |
| Jackson | 3,818 | 60.06% | 2,532 | 39.83% | 6 | 0.09% | 1 | 0.02% | 1,286 | 20.23% | 6,357 |
| Jefferson | 13,295 | 60.20% | 8,741 | 39.58% | 28 | 0.13% | 20 | 0.09% | 4,554 | 20.62% | 22,084 |
| Juneau | 4,583 | 60.57% | 2,976 | 39.33% | 5 | 0.07% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,607 | 21.24% | 7,567 |
| Kenosha | 30,522 | 67.29% | 14,764 | 32.55% | 40 | 0.09% | 30 | 0.07% | 15,758 | 34.74% | 45,356 |
| Kewaunee | 4,792 | 61.59% | 2,980 | 38.30% | 6 | 0.08% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,812 | 23.29% | 7,780 |
| La Crosse | 16,625 | 55.78% | 13,135 | 44.07% | 26 | 0.09% | 17 | 0.06% | 3,490 | 11.71% | 29,803 |
| Lafayette | 4,471 | 58.28% | 3,194 | 41.64% | 4 | 0.05% | 2 | 0.03% | 1,277 | 16.64% | 7,671 |
| Langlade | 5,077 | 62.83% | 2,994 | 37.05% | 8 | 0.10% | 2 | 0.02% | 2,083 | 25.78% | 8,081 |
| Lincoln | 5,883 | 60.06% | 3,894 | 39.75% | 10 | 0.10% | 9 | 0.09% | 1,989 | 20.31% | 9,796 |
| Manitowoc | 21,927 | 68.92% | 9,849 | 30.96% | 24 | 0.08% | 15 | 0.05% | 12,078 | 37.96% | 31,815 |
| Marathon | 24,603 | 65.74% | 12,766 | 34.11% | 38 | 0.10% | 19 | 0.05% | 11,837 | 31.63% | 37,426 |
| Marinette | 9,657 | 64.32% | 5,332 | 35.52% | 12 | 0.08% | 12 | 0.08% | 4,325 | 28.80% | 15,013 |
| Marquette | 1,927 | 50.50% | 1,881 | 49.29% | 8 | 0.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 46 | 1.21% | 3,816 |
| Menominee | 647 | 89.12% | 78 | 10.74% | 1 | 0.14% | 0 | 0.00% | 569 | 78.38% | 726 |
| Milwaukee | 288,577 | 65.67% | 149,962 | 34.12% | 401 | 0.09% | 519 | 0.12% | 138,615 | 31.55% | 439,459 |
| Monroe | 6,385 | 55.41% | 5,126 | 44.48% | 7 | 0.06% | 6 | 0.05% | 1,259 | 10.93% | 11,524 |
| Oconto | 6,360 | 58.92% | 4,420 | 40.94% | 11 | 0.10% | 4 | 0.04% | 1,940 | 17.98% | 10,795 |
| Oneida | 6,431 | 62.11% | 3,909 | 37.75% | 10 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.05% | 2,522 | 24.36% | 10,355 |
| Outagamie | 21,556 | 53.62% | 18,595 | 46.26% | 35 | 0.09% | 12 | 0.03% | 2,961 | 7.36% | 40,198 |
| Ozaukee | 9,517 | 52.51% | 8,581 | 47.35% | 15 | 0.08% | 10 | 0.06% | 936 | 5.16% | 18,123 |
| Pepin | 2,154 | 66.71% | 1,069 | 33.11% | 4 | 0.12% | 2 | 0.06% | 1,085 | 33.60% | 3,229 |
| Pierce | 6,351 | 65.70% | 3,291 | 34.05% | 14 | 0.14% | 10 | 0.10% | 3,060 | 31.65% | 9,666 |
| Polk | 7,215 | 65.57% | 3,754 | 34.12% | 18 | 0.16% | 16 | 0.15% | 3,461 | 31.45% | 11,003 |
| Portage | 11,887 | 72.05% | 4,579 | 27.75% | 21 | 0.13% | 11 | 0.07% | 7,308 | 44.30% | 16,498 |
| Price | 4,289 | 63.97% | 2,406 | 35.88% | 7 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,883 | 28.09% | 6,705 |
| Racine | 37,785 | 63.71% | 21,434 | 36.14% | 52 | 0.09% | 35 | 0.06% | 16,351 | 27.57% | 59,306 |
| Richland | 4,315 | 57.17% | 3,224 | 42.71% | 6 | 0.08% | 3 | 0.04% | 1,091 | 14.46% | 7,548 |
| Rock | 28,257 | 58.04% | 20,372 | 41.85% | 44 | 0.09% | 11 | 0.02% | 7,885 | 16.19% | 48,684 |
| Rusk | 4,176 | 65.20% | 2,214 | 34.57% | 7 | 0.11% | 8 | 0.12% | 1,962 | 30.63% | 6,405 |
| Sauk | 9,288 | 59.33% | 6,345 | 40.53% | 12 | 0.08% | 11 | 0.07% | 2,943 | 18.80% | 15,656 |
| Sawyer | 2,591 | 56.17% | 2,012 | 43.62% | 7 | 0.15% | 3 | 0.07% | 579 | 12.55% | 4,613 |
| Shawano | 6,560 | 50.06% | 6,519 | 49.74% | 18 | 0.14% | 8 | 0.06% | 41 | 0.32% | 13,105 |
| Sheboygan | 26,410 | 66.95% | 12,968 | 32.88% | 48 | 0.12% | 19 | 0.05% | 13,442 | 34.07% | 39,445 |
| St. Croix | 8,864 | 65.86% | 4,565 | 33.92% | 16 | 0.12% | 13 | 0.10% | 4,299 | 31.94% | 13,458 |
| Taylor | 4,624 | 67.03% | 2,261 | 32.78% | 10 | 0.14% | 3 | 0.04% | 2,363 | 34.25% | 6,898 |
| Trempealeau | 6,320 | 65.91% | 3,264 | 34.04% | 3 | 0.03% | 2 | 0.02% | 3,056 | 31.87% | 9,589 |
| Vernon | 6,242 | 57.28% | 4,640 | 42.58% | 11 | 0.10% | 5 | 0.05% | 1,602 | 14.70% | 10,898 |
| Vilas | 2,841 | 50.03% | 2,827 | 49.78% | 3 | 0.05% | 8 | 0.14% | 14 | 0.25% | 5,679 |
| Walworth | 11,746 | 48.92% | 12,225 | 50.92% | 30 | 0.12% | 8 | 0.03% | −479 | −2.00% | 24,009 |
| Washburn | 3,181 | 62.84% | 1,865 | 36.84% | 8 | 0.16% | 8 | 0.16% | 1,316 | 26.00% | 5,062 |
| Washington | 11,563 | 55.62% | 9,191 | 44.21% | 27 | 0.13% | 10 | 0.05% | 2,372 | 11.41% | 20,791 |
| Waukesha | 39,796 | 52.76% | 35,502 | 47.07% | 85 | 0.11% | 46 | 0.06% | 4,294 | 5.69% | 75,429 |
| Waupaca | 6,990 | 45.42% | 8,381 | 54.46% | 15 | 0.10% | 3 | 0.02% | −1,391 | −9.04% | 15,389 |
| Waushara | 3,004 | 46.64% | 3,437 | 53.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 0 | 0.00% | −433 | −6.72% | 6,441 |
| Winnebago | 23,636 | 52.72% | 21,084 | 47.03% | 85 | 0.19% | 30 | 0.07% | 2,552 | 5.69% | 44,835 |
| Wood | 15,378 | 64.65% | 8,388 | 35.26% | 16 | 0.07% | 5 | 0.02% | 6,990 | 29.39% | 23,787 |
| Totals | 1,050,424 | 62.09% | 638,495 | 37.74% | 1,692 | 0.10% | 1,204 | 0.07% | 411,929 | 24.35% | 1,691,815 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
edit- Adams
- Barron
- Buffalo
- Burnett
- Calumet
- Clark
- Columbia
- Crawford
- Dodge
- Door
- Dunn
- Eau Claire
- Florence
- Fond du Lac
- Grant
- Green
- Green Lake
- Iowa
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Juneau
- La Crosse
- Lafayette
- Langlade
- Lincoln
- Marathon
- Marinette
- Marquette
- Monroe
- Oconto
- Oneida
- Outagamie
- Ozaukee
- Pierce
- Polk
- Price
- Richland
- Rock
- Sauk
- Sawyer
- Shawano
- Sheboygan
- St. Croix
- Trempealeau
- Vernon
- Vilas
- Washburn
- Washington
- Waukesha
- Winnebago
- Wood
Analysis
editEarly polls nevertheless showed incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson leading Goldwater comfortably,[13] despite predictions of a severe backlash to the Civil Rights Act from Wisconsin's anti-black German-American and Polish-American populations.[14] Extreme fears of financial loss for farmers accounted for a 66–28 lead for Johnson in September,[15] while fear of Goldwater's policy of strategic use of nuclear weapons,[16] rather than enthusiasm for the domestic and foreign policies of President Johnson, was cited as the cause of the President's continuing strong lead one month later.[17]
Johnson won Wisconsin by a margin of 24.35 percent. Goldwater held up slightly better in the German areas where conservative Republicanism had been established by anti-World War II sentiment, whilst he lost heavily in the Yankee counties of the south.[16] As of the 2020 presidential election[update], this is the last election in which Dodge County, Fond du Lac County, Green Lake County, Ozaukee County, Vilas County, Washington County, and Waukesha County (and by that extension, any of the WOW counties) voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[18]
Electors
editThese were the names of the electors on each ticket.[11]
| Lyndon B. Johnson & Hubert Humphrey Democratic Party |
Barry Goldwater & William E. Miller Republican Party |
Clifton DeBerry & Ed Shaw Socialist Workers Party |
Eric Hass & Henning A. Blomen Socialist Labor Party |
|---|---|---|---|
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See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ Burnham, Walter Dean; 'The System of 1896: An Analysis'; in The Evolution of American Electoral Systems, pp. 178-179 ISBN 0313213798
- ^ Sundquist, James; Politics and Policy: The Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson Years, p. 526 ISBN 0815719094
- ^ Hansen, John Mark; Shigeo Hirano, and Snyder, James M. Jr.; 'Parties within Parties: Parties, Factions, and Coordinated Politics, 1900-1980'; in Gerber, Alan S. and Schickler, Eric; Governing in a Polarized Age: Elections, Parties, and Political Representation in America, pp. 165-168 ISBN 978-1-107-09509-0
- ^ Phillips, Kevin P.; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 381-382, 414 ISBN 978-0-691-16324-6
- ^ Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, pp. 387-388
- ^ Kelley, Stanley junior; 'The Goldwater Strategy'; The Princeton Review; pp. 8-11
- ^ Yerxa, Fendall W.; 'Goldwater Takes Campaign North: Senator Meets Opposition on Leaving the South'; Special to The New York Times, September 25, 1964, p. 61
- ^ Kelley, Stanley junior; 'The Goldwater Strategy'; The Princeton Review; pp. 8–11.
- ^ Yerxa, Fendall W.; 'Goldwater Takes Campaign North: Senator Meets Opposition on Leaving the South'; Special to The New York Times, September 25, 1964, p. 61.
- ^ Black & Black 1992, p. 160.
- ^ a b c Wisconsin Historical Society, Statement of Board of State Canvassers for President, Vice President and Presidential Electors - General Election - 1964
- ^ a b Wisconsin Legislative Reference Library. "Vote For President And Vice President By County". The Wisconsin Blue Book 1966. Madison, Wisconsin. p. 748.
- ^ 'President Scans Favorable Polls: Surveys in 7 States Show Him Leading Goldwater'; Special to The New York Times, August 22, 1964, p. 9.
- ^ Pomfrets, John D.; 'Milwaukee Poles in Johnson Camp: While Openly Anti-Negro, They Oppose Goldwater'; Special to The New York Times, August 22, 1964, p. 22.
- ^ Janson, Donald; 'Johnson Gaining Corn Belt Vote: Farmers Voice Wariness of Goldwater's Philosophy'; Special to The New York Times, September 13, 1964, p. 72.
- ^ a b Phillips; The Emerging Republican Majority, p. 396.
- ^ 'Goldwater Lacks in Wisconsin Poll: Fear of His Nuclear Policy Is Cited in Survey'; Special to The New York Times, October 11, 1964, p. 61.
- ^ Sullivan, Robert David; 'How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016.